Comparison of the In Vitro Mutagenicity of Artemisia draconculus L. With Sodium Dichromate by Performing Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (SCGE) or the Comet Assay

BACKGROUND: The increasing use of herbal drugs and their easy availability have necessitated the use of mutagenicity tests to analyze their toxicity and safety. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro mutagenicity of Artemisia draconculus L., a herbal drug, by performing single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we obtained a herbal drug with A. draconculus at a density of 0.94; doses of 100 μl, 200 μl, 400 μl, and 800 μl equivalent to 94 mg, 188 mg, 376 mg, and 752 mg of A. draconculus, respectively, were used. Sodium dichromate at a dose of 262 mg was considered to be the positive control, and blood was considered to be the negative control. Blood samples were centrifuged at 3500 rpm for 5 min, and the lower portion of the residue was isolated and mixed with low melting point agarose. RESULTS: A cell suspension was prepared and applied on pre-coated agarose gel slides. Lysis, electrophoresis under alkaline conditions, staining of DNA, comet visualization, and comet scoring were carried out. The statistical analysis of the obtained results showed that with an increase in the dosage of A. draconculus, DNA damage also increased significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide valuable information regarding the safety and toxicity of this herbal drug, and this information will be helpful in ensuring rational use of this drug.